Charles Sturt University (CSU) sent a 115-strong team of students to compete in the annual Australian University Games on the Queensland Gold Coast from Sunday 23 to Friday 28 September and came away with a Silver Medal in the Women’s Hockey and a Bronze Medal in Beach Volley Ball (Division 2). “Our athletes did well against some tough competition,” CSU team manager Niklaus Granger said. “There were about 6 000 students competing from over 40 universities Australia-wide in a range of sports. The CSU Women’s Hockey team did particularly well with only 12 team members (1 sub) in its 3-1 loss to the University of Sydney in the finals.” In addition, at least four CSU students were selected for the Green and Gold Merit teams. These are students chosen from all competitors based on their performance during the week. They include Kate Davis (Bathurst) and Amanda George (Wagga Wagga) in women’s hockey, Duncan McPhee (Bathurst) in men’s hockey, and Will Stuart (Bathurst) in men’s rugby.

Applications have opened for students seeking financial assistance in 2008 through the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Equity Scholarships. The scheme offers students three types of scholarships; the Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarships, Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarships and CSU Equity Scholarships. The Commonwealth Scholarships are offered by the Federal Government for students from a low socio economic background, especially Indigenous students and students from rural and regional Australia. The CSU Equity Scholarships were introduced in 2006 when the University’s allocated $3.25 million from 2006 to 2008 to assists students from disadvantaged backgrounds. “The scholarships, which vary from $2 000 to over $4 000 each, are an integral part of the University’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to national and internationally recognised educational opportunities, “ said Mr Les Burr, acting Executive Director of Student Services at CSU. Students have until the end of November 2007 to complete their application forms. More information is available at the Equity Scholarships website here. 

With increasing links being identified between occupational organophosphate-based pesticide exposure and cancers, the need for a more sensitive screening test than the existing test has become apparent. Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer in biomedical sciences, Dr Helen Moriarty will present a seminar entitled A novel screening test to detect low level occupational exposure to organophosphate-based pesticides on Thursday 27 September 2007 that suggests a solution. Dr Moriarty has identified a simple test that uses blood from a finger prick sample. Since many users unknowingly expose themselves to pesticides, a successful screening test will enable safe handling practices to be monitored and adjusted as necessary. This application is anticipated to make a major impact on the prevention of many environmentally induced cancers.

The publication of the play A Terrible Beauty, by Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer Mr Ray Harding, will be launched at the Ubud Writers’ Festival in Bali on 27 September 2007. A Terrible Beauty deals with the October 2002 Bali Bombing which claimed more than 200 lives, 88 of them Australian. "It's wonderful that this publication can be launched in Bali, near the site of the tragedy that this work reflects upon," Mr Harding said. "It's a celebration of the triumph of hope and goodwill which many of us didn't think would be possible a few years ago." This is Mr Harding's fifth play and it had its world premiere performance at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre in June 2006. The play's publication launch will be accompanied by a performance of the play by an all-Indonesian cast. The launch will be officiated by Finley Smith, organizer of the writers' festival, together with former senior CSU theatre lecturer, Bill Blaikie and Kersena Dewanto, the festival's artistic director.

Charles Sturt University will be represented in the new system to assess where Federal Government research dollars should be spent in 2008. Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research) at CSU, Professor Paul Burnett will chair one of the 13 assessment panels for the Research Quality Framework. The panels will assess the research applications submitted by higher education providers and will award a rating for quality and impact. As Head of the University's Centre for Research and Graduate Training and being responsible for the administration of research and research training at CSU, Professor Burnett will head the Psychology, Psychiatry, Neurological, Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences panel. With five degrees, Professor Burnett is a counsellor, counselling psychologist and educational and developmental psychologist.

Around 110 education researchers and educators from Charles Sturt University (CSU) will gather on the University's Dubbo Campus for the first time between Wednesday 26 and Friday 28 September. Ms Tracey Simpson, Associate Head of the School of Teach Education at Dubbo and host of the forum, said the forum is usually held every two years. "The forum is for all members of CSU's Faculty of Education to reflect on progress, discuss future plans and evaluate how the Faculty fits into the progress of the University,” she said. The major issues for discussion include teaching and learning for the University's new Indigenous Education Strategy, course changes, flexible teaching and learning approaches and research. There will be a performance by the boys dance group from Buninyong Public School, and forum participants will attend the Croc Festival Community Performance on Wednesday evening 26 September 2007.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) 2006 television production graduates Luke Heywood and Tim Pass are ecstatic with the news that their production Chance Your Hand will be screened at the 2007 New York Television Festival Independent Pilot Competition. Chance Your Hand, a situation comedy showing the behind the scenes drama of a television game show, was a major project during the students’ third year studies. Produced at the CSU School of Visual and Performing Arts studios at the Wagga Wagga Campus in inland NSW, Chance Your Hand is one of only three productions selected from outside the United States. CSU Associate Lecturer Patrick Sproule says, “this is a major accolade for the both the course and the students, showcasing just how capable, creative and talented our television, acting and theatre design graduates are”. Luke and Tim will travel to New York to attend the festival from 5 – 9 September and hope to meet network executives to further their television careers.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is reaching out to students in distant and remote locations through the growing education resource of podcasting, the broadcast of audio files across the internet. CSU School of Computing and Mathematics lecturer Anthony Chan says: “Podcasting is now happening in CSU biomedical sciences, accounting, information technology, food and wine sciences and commercial radio and management courses. Podcasts are provided to students before and after classes and include interviews with experts from around the world”. An international collaborative project between CSU and USA’s Bentley College allows students in a first year computing subject to learn from each other and another lecturer half way round the world. The School of Computing and Mathematics also uses podcasting with a local Wagga Wagga high school, with their work in Japanese learning and teaching featured on Japanese television. Studies within CSU have shown that podcasting reduces the effects of isolation and promotes inclusiveness. Surveys with CSU undergraduate students also show podcasting reduces their stress levels, especially students who are coming into a higher education environment for the first time.

Estimating the number of people in the Federal Calare electorate aged 55 to 75 years with respiratory disease is the goal of a new Charles Sturt University (CSU) research project. Dr Debbie Burton, a senior lecturer and Associate Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU’s Orange Campus, says the project will screen people for asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and the related disease Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). “The free lung health test uses a breathing test, where participants take a full breath in, then breathe out fully and with maximum effort into a tube, to check how well they can ventilate their lungs. Most people diagnosed with COPD experience moderate to severe shortness of breath and reduced lung function before discussing this with their doctor. This delays the diagnosis of COPD and increases the risk of getting the related disease CHF. Once diagnosed, people with these diseases can be managed medically so that the diseases progress more slowly and the quality of life for these people improves.” The study results will be used to identify ways to more easily screen and detect these diseases earlier in older people. If you have received an invitation letter and wish to take part in the study, contact Jillian Webb on telephone 02 6365 7823.